


The Darkest Light

by perfectflo



Category: Star Wars - All Media Types
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-03-27
Updated: 2017-03-27
Packaged: 2018-10-11 17:36:13
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 2
Words: 2,704
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10470414
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/perfectflo/pseuds/perfectflo
Summary: An AU where Leia plans to send troops from the New Republic to the Starkiller Base in attempt to defeat the First Order. When the Republic decides that her idea will not work, the remaining Jedi feel they must do their part. Leia and Han's three children are trained Jedi and believe they can defeat the Emperor once and for all. A disturbance in the force leaves Leia in a spiral of grief and anger.





	1. Chapter 1

**Background**

Here is some much needed background information before you read the story. This AU involves storylines and characters from both the Expanded Universe and Episode VII. There is the First Order, but there are no Knights of Ren, nor is Snoke involved in this. In this, The First Order is an empire not a dictatorship, so it is still led by an Emperor and the Darth Lords are still present. In this story they are led by Emperor Vespius and there has not been a Darth Lord since Vader for every apprentice has resigned or died in battles.

After the birth of her three children, Leia was trained by Luke to become a Jedi. She is one of the only Jedi apprentices of such a late age to successfully train to become a Jedi Knight. She doesn't train any longer to become a master, because she wished to rejoin the The New Republic's senate. Just after she rejoined, she was elected as general of the New Republic. 

Leia and Han's three children: twins Jaina and Jacen, and youngest brother Anakin are trained Jedi and they were all apprentices of Luke Skywalker.

Also in this story the New Republic's senate chambers and most operation bases are in Bespin, not D'Qar or Hosnian Prime.

 


	2. For The Resistance

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A month after the senate vetoed General Organa's idea of sending a mass of troops to the Starkiller Base in order to try and defeat the First Order.

"We'll go," Jacen decided. He looked at each of his siblings who stood in the same brave stance as himself. Jaina Solo, the brown haired, bright blue eyed girl, was his twin, she was just 18. Anakin Solo, who had long, brass like, blonde hair, that resembled Luke's, stood the tallest of the three. He was the youngest at just 16. He seemed quite hesitant about the idea of going off with his siblings, and just his siblings, to face Emperor Vespius and his empire. 

Leia stood in front of them with crossed arms. She was dressed in her uniform of tan pants and shirt and purple vest. Her belt held a hypercom transmitter, her saber and a blaster pistol. She reverted her eyes between each of her children. A hint of fear washed over her already dreary eyes. She was exhausted, and that was clear to all three of them. Her look of pure disappointment and sadness seemed like it would stay for the rest of her life. She felt betrayed by the republic. Like they didn't trust her, which they had always trusted her plans. And they had always proven to be the right thing to do. She felt like the Republic had failed her. Since their refusal, The First Order had sent troopers to Bespin, where the senate and most citizens of the Republic lived, to try and take over them. Cloud City suffered many fatalities, and the senate had weakened. At that point the Solo children and the other remaining Jedi were the only hope. But Leia would never admit that. 

The children only wanted to help. They knew they had enough of the force to do a great deal of damage, but through their lives Leia was very protective over them. She knew how important they were to the Republic, and she was also aware of how much the First Order sought after the children to kidnap them and turn them to the dark side. After all there had been no one to take Vader's place. She knew none of the children were strong enough to refuse the Emperor's mind tricks, and she wasn't going to watch one of her children fall down that path. 

She shook her head and sighed out. "No, I can't let you do that. I won't let you put yourselves in danger. You all know how important you are to this Republic. Most importantly, to me," she said to them in her sternest voice. A voice she never dared to use on her children. It was only saved for lecturing the senate. Her tone took them off guard quite a bit. When they heard their mother was open for anything that could protect the Republic, they should have known she would never accept letting her children do all the work on their own. 

"But...Mother...." Jaina pleaded. Leia cut her off. 

"No buts Jaina, none of you will set foot on that base and none of you will come face to face with Vespius. Never. Do you hear me?" 

"You know we are strong enough. Uncle Luke even said I was stronger than him," Jacen said. 

"He has a way with people Jacen. He said that to me too. Do you really think me, your own mother, is a better Jedi than Luke?"

"Mother we can do it. Uncle Luke will come with us," Anakin blurted in with a tone that resembled that of a child wanting so badly to get his way. 

Leia had lost her patience and huffed. "No! That is final. I will not let my children go off to that base alone. Especially you Ani. You're barely 16," she scolded. He opened his mouth to protest but she gave him the look. Anakin knew better than to work her more than that, so he kept his lips sealed. He had a massive respect for his mother. After all, she'd been through more than anybody in the New Republic ever had, or could ever imagine. Anakin just gave her a simple nod and looked down at his toes. 

"Mother, we must go! You said you'd keep an open mind!" Jaina spoke up. 

"I am keeping an open mind! But you are my children! My biggest job is to protect all three of you from Vespius. Don't you understand that's why I am part of the New Republic? Why I am the general? I'm doing it to protect you," she said to Jaina. 

Jaina rolled her eyes. That's why you abandoned us on Coruscant with Winter and Threepio, she thought. 

"Jaina, I didn't abandon you! I am tired of you always say...thinking that!" she shouted at her.

Jaina gave out an airy gasp. "Stop invading my thoughts Mother! Just because you have the force doesn't mean you can abuse it!" 

Leia sighed frustratedly and straightened her posture. She was fed up with always arguing with them. She looked over at the droid tinkering with a computer in the corner of the chambers. "Threepio!" Leia shouted. He turned his head and came waddling to them. 

"Yes Mistress Leia?"

"Take the children home. That is an order," she said. 

"Oh dear," he said and faced the kids. "Whatever you say Mistress Leia," he said and patted Anakin's back as a way to push him out. They all walked towards the door with their shoulders hunched. Her silence said more than any shouting. They knew they were in trouble. 

The twins faced each other and gave a nod. They were exploring a new skill which blocked others from invading their mind. They clearly weren't too good at it because during their telepathic conversation, about a plan to go ask Han instead, Leia interfered. 

"Don't you dare bring your father into this. He wouldn't want you to go either," Leia said from across the chambers. Jaina groaned and without contest, Jacen detached himself from the conversation and walked out. 

Leia made her way to the long window in the room and looked out over the city. She observed the damage that it had took. She shook her head. If only the would have listened. She placed a loose hand on her forehead to try and escape her thoughts. The thoughts that asked if she was doing the right thing. Should she let her children be independent and go off to where Vespius was? Of course she couldn't. She couldn't put her children in danger. She spent 18 years fighting to keep them safe. Even if that did mean leaving them for years at a time on Coruscant where they were safe. She hated that Jaina made those years out to be the easiest years of Leia's life. For every moment she was apart from her children, a little piece of her left.

There really wasn't much of her left. Though it had been over 25 years since the destruction of Alderaan, it still haunted her. To know that her family, her beloved father, was gone. Then to find out that her real father was a murderer and a man who tried so hard to kill her. To add to that, she had a failed marriage. The one person who was supposed to protect her, gave up on her. She understood that Han couldn't keep up with Leia's work. Just like Leia couldn't keep with his. 

They had met their differences, especially over her constant paranoia over their children's safety. Which meant when they were just infants she'd bolt awake in the night, waking Han as well. She'd swiftly leave the bedroom, without context, and walk into the babies' room to check in their bassinets, fearing the absolute worst. What if they have been kidnapped? What if they have been killed? But every time each of them were fast asleep, safe, and healthy. 

Han would constantly tell her that she was stifling them. Leia was only trying to keep them protected. When she sent them to Coruscant, that was when the marriage fell. During that time, Leia wouldn't stop working in order to keep her mind off being without her children. Han would keep traveling to different bases to collect information about the First Order. He would be gone at weeks, even months at a time. As time past, they grew apart. Once they couldn't gather conversation or spend any time in the same room without an argument, they met a mutual agreement that divorce was the only thing left to do. It tore them apart, but they knew it was right. The both of them relied on each other to be their touchstone since they both had to shape their lives from practically nothing. Leia was all Han had, and Han was all Leia had for a long time. 

Because of the divorce, she only saw Han once in a few months, sometimes not even that often. Whenever they saw one another they kept it strictly professional, and they tried to keep their feelings from getting in the way. Whenever they spoke to one another, he'd only refer to her as General which hurt more than she imagined it would. She missed the way he would call her name. The way he said 'Leia' was a small thing she longed for. But of course she had to do the same, and so she called him Captain Solo every time she saw him. She couldn't even remember the last time the name 'Han' left her mouth. 

He was around the base often. She always knew if he was around. She could recognize his presence from the second he walked in. Sometimes she would see him walking through the base's halls, but she never dared to approach him. For every time they saw each other, another wound was opened. She couldn't face him, and she wouldn't dare. Just as he would never dare to converse with her if it wasn't absolutely necessary.

"General Leia? Master Luke is here to see you," Threepio said. It was the only time Leia was grateful to hear Threepio's voice. His boasting chirp helped her exit her thoughts.

She turned to face him and nodded.   
"You can send him in," she said calmly with a smile. She hadn't seen Luke in a while. It had been months. She remained where she was standing and waited for her brother to join her.

"Oh Master Luke I haven't seen you in... four months it seems. I thought you had left me for good. Oh R2 I have missed you," Leia heard Threepio say from the hallway just outside the door. Threepio's talking was followed by cheery beeps from R2-D2.

Luke walked into the chambers and smiled at his sister. As he walked his brown, hooded robe flowed behind him and it revealed a tan uniform much similar to Obi-Wan Kenobi's. 

Of course, his eyes had aged and softened with time. His face was partially covered in a greying beard, and his hair fell in waves to his shoulders. 

"My brother," she smiled and brought him into a hug. He lifted her off the ground and spun around with her. He put her back onto her feet and grinned at her.   
"We have much to talk about, Leia," he said then his lips relaxed until it was in a straight position. "About...the Empire."  
"Oh please not at the moment. I have spoken too much about this. I need a break... Just something else...please?" she begged.  
"I am afraid this is very important Leia. Too important for me to hold it off. Anyway, I haven't got much time. I am supposed to meet Lando and..." he said; stopping at Han's name in fear that it might hurt Leia.  
"Captain Solo?" she asked.  
"Yes, Captain Solo and General Calrissian," he nodded.  
"Fair enough. Sit," she said and gestured to one of the seats around the conference table. She sat across from him and gave her full attention.

"I know you are apprehensive about the thought of Jaina, Jacen and Anakin going to the Starkiller Base, but you must hear me out on this Leia," he began.

She sat back and looked up at the ceiling. A long breath exited her lips; she was obviously annoyed. 

"I'm not speaking about this Luke. My children are not setting foot on that base. Even if I was to agree, they'd have to be joined by you and a massive amount of troops," she said in an exasperated tone like she had said it a million times before. 

"Well they will be accompanied by me...."

"You think that four Jedi will be able to defeat all of those troopers and Vespius himself?What about all of the Destroyers and AT-AT's? What about the apprentices?" 

"I assure you Leia, we are strong enough to do damage. We aren't going to defeat the entire empire ourselves. That'd be nothing but nonsense. I may be foolish at times, but I am no idiot," he sneered at her. He had become defensive, as he always did when his sister doubted his abilities.

"Debatable," she scoffed and stood up. "Luke those are my children!"

"I understand that," he said.

"You sound so cavalier about this. Like it doesn't bother you that you could possibly be putting the only three things that really matter to me in the worst kind of danger," she ranted as she paced the around the front of the table. 

"I'm not cavalier about this Leia. I'm just confident that we can achieve this."

"They're my children!" she repeated but much louder that time. 

"Leia hear me out on this. They are our only hope!" he yelled.

She faced him and stared at him with squinted eyes and flared nostrils. "Don't you dare tell me about hope. Hope means nothing Luke. Hope isn't real."

"Hope is the only thing that brought us together Leia. It is the only thing that this Resistance is living on. All we have is hope."

She turned toward the wall as she began to remember the beginnings of the Civil War, when she still had hope. Hope that everything would be okay. She reminisced walking onto the Death Star and how cold it felt. Cold from all the hatred and darkness it held. She had, had hope then. 

"Luke you better go to Lando. I'm sure he is waiting," Leia said quietly. 

"Leia don't push me away again," he pleaded.

"Luke just go," her voice let out in a faint whisper. 

He made his way to the door in long, heavy strides and slammed the door behind him as he exited. 

The sound of the slam made Leia jump a bit. She faced the tall doors and stared. What was she to do for the Republic? All of it fell onto her shoulders and her decisions decided its future. She knew hope would never help them. Because their only hope would never come near that base. She had her heart set on it.

 


End file.
